Children taken ill in new swine flu cluster

Published on Monday 4 May 2009 21:57

NINE new cases of swine flu – seven of them in children – were confirmed in the UK yesterday as ministers called for continued vigilance over the virus threat.

Scottish health minister Nicola Sturgeon said governments had reacted appropriately to contain the spread of the infection, despite a relatively small number of mild cases emerging. A total of 27 cases have been confirmed in the UK, including four in Scotland.

Seven of the new cases appeared to have been acquired by person-to-person contact within the country – a sign that the virus was starting to spread inside the UK. A fourth school in England has been forced to close in an effort to stop swine flu spreading more easily and increasing the likelihood of a pandemic being declared.

A further "probable" case was revealed in Scotland, with test results awaited on a woman from Fife who recently returned from Las Vegas.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn echoed appeals for vigilance yesterday. He said the flu was "relatively mild and responds well to treatment here in the UK so far". But he admitted that the country was still not sure what it was dealing with and had to be wary.

More cases continued to emerge around the world yesterday, with numbers rising to almost 300 in the United States. But Mexico – the centre of the outbreak – said cases appeared to be levelling off. About 100 deaths have been linked to swine flu in the country.

There was also an indication from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that it could increase its pandemic alert to the highest level. But the United Nations later said there were no immediate plans to do this.

The Department of Health in London said seven of the nine new cases confirmed in Britain appeared to have been acquired from person-to-person contact within the country.

Alleyn's School, in Dulwich, south-east London, a co-educational public school with 1,118 pupils ranging in age from four to 18, was at the centre of the new cases, becoming the fourth school to be closed after five year-seven pupils tested positive for the virus. A sixth pupil was previously identified with swine flu after visiting the US during the Easter holidays.

Annual fees at the school, whose former pupils include Hollywood actor Jude Law, range from 10,700 to 12,996.

Two other children confirmed as having the virus yesterday were London-based siblings and close contacts of one of the infected pupils at Alleyn's, the Health Protection Agency said. Two adults from London and the West Midlands – who recently returned from Mexico – were also diagnosed.

Alleyn's School will be shut for seven days. It has arranged for all pupils and staff to be offered anti-viral treatment.

South Hampstead High School in north-west London, Downend School in South Gloucestershire and Paignton Community and Sports College in Devon had already closed.

A further 19 possible cases of swine flu were yesterday revealed to be under investigation in Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon said people who had been in close touch with the new "probable" case were being contacted. But those on the flight back with the woman from Fife were not being traced as she was not suffering symptoms on the plane.

Ms Sturgeon said most of the people on the flight linked to another Scottish case – concerning a man from Ayrshire – had been traced.

She said she was not concerned that officials had "cried wolf" in their handling of the virus. "We don't yet know enough about this virus to draw any firm conclusions," she said.

"It is absolutely right that we prepare for the worst here and that is what we have been doing – not that we are necessarily expecting the worse, but we are preparing for that."

Ms Sturgeon added: "I'd far rather be accused of over- reaction to a threat like this than under-reaction. We will continue to do everything we can to contain this virus and, on the evidence we have, we are having some success with that strategy, but we will also continue to prepare for what might lie ahead."

Ms Sturgeon said that the Scottish Government would be sharing its stockpile of face masks, for use by NHS staff, with the rest of the UK while more supplies were brought in.

Work has also started in the UK on a potential vaccine for swine flu, which could be necessary if a pandemic is declared.

Trapped in a hotel as China takes no chances

A BRITISH couple quarantined in a Hong Kong hotel yesterday spoke of their experience as the country increased efforts to tackle swine flu.

Eddie and Terry Sweeney are among about 350 guests banned from leaving the Metropark Hotel Wanchai after a Mexican traveller staying there developed swine flu.

The couple had planned to stay in Hong Kong for two nights on the return journey from a visit to their daughter, Sharon, who is a teacher in New Zealand.

But their journey home was postponed on Friday when health officials put the hotel in quarantine.

Now the couple, who have been married for 38 years, are stuck in their room for most of the day although they are allowed down to collect meals.

"It could be a test of the marriage," joked Mr Sweeney, 62, a retired Metropolitan Police officer from Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire.

"When you look out of the window and see the weather – which is fantastic – you think you should be on a beach.

"It's air-conditioned which is nice but the windows are sealed up so there's no fresh air.

"I'll be quite glad when Friday comes."

Mr Sweeney said he has been walking up and down the stairs to the couple's 15th floor room for exercise and entertaining himself by using the internet or watching sport on television.

"Some people think it is Draconian if you compare it with other countries, but if you are here and that's their rules, what can you do about it?"

He added: "They are only doing what they think is right."

Vaccine creation is by definition time-consuming but safety is key

CREATING a new vaccine for widespread use is a lengthy process which can take up to six months.

Part of this process is about ensuring that new vaccines – such as one that could be produced to protect against swine flu – are safe for people to use.

We test vaccines that are being manufactured for purity and to make sure contamination has not been introduced.

We show that there are no avian viruses present in the seed stock before it is manufactured into vaccines.

Some of the seed stocks needed to make vaccines are also taken from the swab of a human being.

This means there could be other viruses that could co-contaminate the vaccine seed stock.

So we use a process called gene amplification to look for pathogenic viruses, which can also include HIV, herpes and all respiratory viruses which might be present in the seed vaccine.

Once the seed stocks are clean, the manufacturers will go into production.

During that process, we will test all batches of vaccine to make sure no impurities are introduced during production.

We are now in constant contact with manufacturers in preparation for the possible production of a swine flu vaccine.

In 1976, an outbreak of swine flu in the US led to a mass vaccination programme.

Unfortunately it led to several people dying of Guillain-Barre syndrome, linked to the vaccine.

That is something the vaccine manufacturers will have to consider.

That kind of potential reaction would have to be tested in a small pilot study or clinical trial.

It is important that vaccines are properly tested ahead of widespread use among the population.

The last thing we want is to have a contaminant in the vaccine.

In the case of polio, at one time the vaccine was grown on primary monkey cells.

This introduced a simian virus, which could cause cancer in the 1950s and 60s.

Yellow fever vaccine has also been contaminated with avian viruses in the past.

This is something we have learned over history – to screen vaccines to make sure they are safe and we do not introduce unwanted agents into the population.

We currently have most of the materials ready to give fast testing, to allow the early release of a product on to the market if a swine flu vaccine is needed.

Once the vaccine manufacturers decide between themselves and the World Health Organisation what seed vaccine they want to use, we will be ready.

&#149 Archie Lovatt is scientific director of biotechnology company Vitrology, based in Clydebank.